There are known joint mechanisms provided with a shaft portion; two gears that are provided so as to be rotatable about rotation shafts disposed at both ends of the shaft portion in a skew-lines positional relationship with each other; and spring linkages coupled with the individual gears via coupling pins that are parallel to the rotation shafts of the gears (for example, see Patent Literature 1). With the joint mechanism according to Patent Literature 1, in association with the rotational motion of a first gear, a spring linkage transmits the rotational force to a second gear while elastically being deformed in an axial cross-sectional direction of the shaft portion, thus rotating the second gear.
With the joint mechanism according to Patent Literature 1, because the linkage that transmits the rotational force of the gear to another gear having a separate rotation shaft is formed of a spring member, the linkage cannot endure when a high load is exerted on the joint mechanism, and thus, the linkage is elastically deformed, making it impossible to transmit the rotational force.
The present invention has been conceived in light of the above-described circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a joint mechanism with which it is possible to transmit a high-load rotational force between two rotation members disposed so as to be rotatable about axes that are disposed in a skew-lines positional relationship, and to provide medical equipment including such a joint mechanism.